the system appears to have let QF, VA down
As an outsider your system appears to be this; A met service that is not an exact science (just like the rest of the world) however, you have fuel policies that rely on the fact it is an exact science and going from some posts on this thread crews believe the same. Weather in real life does not occur in convenient blocks of 30 minutes.....
This "system" combined with crews apparent indifference to an auto land to Cat 1 results in risk taking. MEL has Cat 111B yet it appears from one poster that Virgin at least AWO qualifies its crews but not below Cat 1. From this I deduce Virgin would prefer you go around from unforcasted fog in MEL and divert with little fuel to some regional alternate....? Time for a talk to your Chief Pilot perhaps...
Blame the bean counters, but they would prefer you divert....Bean counters give you no fuel as it saves money, but that risk assessment is based on the fact that they expect some diversions to happen....they don't expect you to commit to closed airports and then make an emergency landing... Pilots hate diverting as its extra work and a slight of their professionalism, ie you didn't "get in" when others did.... Diversion is part of the job, accept it, heck I expect QF and
VB might even pay you for the extra hours..
Hats off to the MIA pair but the The Australian travelling public deserve better than an emergency landing....